2017 is going to be about me.
It sounds selfish, I know, but it’s not. I had to learn this the hard way in 2016, when The Universe sent me some loud and clear messages about slowing down and looking after myself. Simple truths, really – I either do it, or I’ll find myself frazzled, stressed, exhausted, burnt out and (quite literally) broken. Sounds familiar, anyone? Well, I can now tell you from experience that I wasn’t much use to my family in that state.
When you become a mum, you’re told to make sure you have ‘me-time’. And to be honest, for a long long time I must have thought I was above everyone else, as it seemed to me that I was doing just fine being a full-time mum to one, then two, then three little boys.
And you could hear me say things like:
“Well, I work outside the home, don’t I? So that’s me-time – when I’m not with the children…”
“What’s me-time anyway? A soak in the bath? I do that sometimes, so I must be fine”.
Wrong.
I wish they told you that there is so much more to be done. So much more that needs our attention. Me-time is self-care. Self-care means looking after your body, mind and soul. It’s not optional. It’s mandatory. Like your car’s MOT if you want to keep driving it. And if you want to keep functioning, you need to prioritise your self-care.
So 2017 is about me. I’ve not been very good at this before, so things need to change. And because we’ve already established that change is hard, I’m going to be very realistic and specific with my goals.
If I only focus on these 7 things, by the end of 2017 I should hopefully be way ahead of where I was only a few months ago, and I’d invite you to ask yourself whether you are regularly looking after your body, mind and soul and reflect on these 7 aspects too.
Exercise, exercise, exercise
I’m one who never really stuck with any form of exercise, but now is the time to really take this seriously. Recovering from a nasty tibial fracture (complete with all the metalwork that goes with it) and still with diastasis recti following my 3 pregnancies (my abs haven’t returned to their original position), I really need to work on getting my body stronger and start working on my core muscles.
And where are you on the exercise front? Are you exercising regularly? Do you think you could start or improve your exercise routine? Where are you on your fitness and weight goals? Do you have any? And do you have a plan to tackle them?
Drink more and stay hydrated, always
During the years I was breastfeeding my children I used to be quite good and carried around a bottle with me to measure how much I was drinking. Lately, and since I stopped working, I’ve been awful at this. Did you know that dehydration (amongst other nasty effects) can even shrink the size of your brain? Now, no one needs that, do they? So I don’t know about you, but I’m going back to my old tricks ad carrying a bottle with me to make sure I drink enough.
Slow down and have a break from all the ‘doing’ with mindful meditation
If you’ve happened to read anything on my blog, it’s no secret that I spent most of 2016 being unsettled and overwhelmed. I was compared to a pin-ball machine, rushing from one thing to the next, and if I’m honest, that was a fair description. But it wasn’t healthy, and I was desperately in need for a way to slow it all down and… breathe.
This is where practicing mindful meditation with apps like Calm, Welzen or Aware come in, and it’s helped me enormously to live more in the now, rather than constantly worrying about the next thing on the to-do list, and it’s definitely been paying off in the way I feel about life. More of this in 2017!
Spend more time outdoors
Do you remember the days as a child when you used to spend so much time running around outdoors? Well, now we spend too much time indoors, and that’s not great for our health at all. According to the organisation Mind, which provides information and support on mental health, spending more time outside doesn’t just improve your physical health, but can actually boost your creativity and focus, as well as improving your mood and self-esteem. All of this can impact your mental health in a positive way. So how about making more of a point of taking a quick walk during your lunch break, or going for a jog or cycle through a green space? This definitely goes on my list of daily habits.
Get rid of the clutter
Do you ever feel that your mind is way too cluttered, and if you add one more thing it’s going to explode? I feel like that all the time – there’s just too much to remember and to do. There is no easy answer to this, except that if you think you have too much going on in your life you should give some serious thoughts to trying to do less. And if you can’t, being organised with to-do lists and delegating to others are also options.
For me, 2017 is about sifting through the ‘longer-term’ things on my to-do lists – you know, those things that take ages to do and that you dread so much that you actually never do them? Like filing or shredding the admin and paperwork (anyone else?) or going through old baby clothes that are just piling up? This is all clutter. Physical clutter creates mental clutter too. So 2017 is about tackling some of these projects.
Related posts:
How to sort your clothes and declutter your wardrobe.
3 must-read books on decluttering and organising your house and life.
How to declutter your house – 5 tips from The Minimalists.
Make it less digital and more ‘real’
Can you think of anything better for your soul than spending a good afternoon with a great friend catching up about life? You can? Well, then that’s what you need to do more of. For me 2017 has to be about making the effort to have more face-to-face, or (as I call them) ‘real’ interactions.
With your partner. Friends and family. With people who ‘get you’ and make you happy.
The ones who support you, stick by you, never judge you, are always on your side (even when they have to tell you you’re doing it all wrong) and are simply good for your soul. 2017 is about making more of an effort to put the phone down and get together more.
5 signs your digital world is in need of a big spring clean.
Just make time to recharge
I don’t know what recharges you. If for you it’s a soak in the bath, then that’s your thing. If not, just think about whatever it is that makes you feel really good about yourself. Something that makes you smile and gives you a boost of positivity and energy. Something that makes you feel refreshed and ‘new’. And once you find it, just make sure you dedicate some time to it every week (if not daily) and do something that you genuinely just enjoy – something that’s just for you.
All this (and more) is me-time.
So what are YOU going to do to make yourself your top priority in 2017?
Absolutely trying to take care of ME this year too! The weight is that on-going issue in my life that I need to give a good beat down. Love your list! Especially recharging with friends. Good for my mommy soul! #BloggerClubUk
Author
Indeed good for mummy soul – I think anyway! Good luck with taking care of you – I know we all need to do more of it to be able to look after the people in our lives! 🙂
Absolutely great tips. Self care is so important to live a better, happier life.
I’m taking up on yoga this year 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
#BloggerClubUK
Author
I am really leaning towards that too! I want to first tackle my core muscles with a specific programme and focus on properly healing my leg, but hopefully I’ll start yoga too this year! Good luck with it – I’m sure you’ll love it 🙂
You’re so right, looking after ourselves is a necessity. I’m rubbish at doing exercise, too, but have started this year on the right foot taking part in a 31-day yoga challenge. I’m 7 days in and already feel the positive effects , kind of combining exercise with meditation in a way. I hope I can keep it up when I go back to work next week and continue with the yoga after the challenge has finished. I really need to work on going to bed earlier and getting enough sleep, too. I hope this year we can achieve all our aims! #BloggerClubUK
Author
Oh wow! The 31-day yoga challenge sounds just like what I need! Great that you started this and good luck with keeping at it when you go back to work and afterwards. When you see the benefits, it’s probably easier to carry on, especially if you’ve done it for a month already and started building that habit… Good luck with it all!
Thank you for the reminder – we all need it! I hope 2017 is a fantastic year for you! #PostsFromTheHeart
Author
And to you Paula, thank you! 🙂
I learnt (not very long ago) that self care is essential, not selfish which is how I was programmed to think. Lovely ideas here for putting yourself first, because we deserve it! My New Years resolution is very similar xx #postsfromtheheart
Author
Thank you Lauren – interesting how you say that you were ‘programmed to think’ that self-care is selfish! I wonder where all these beliefs that we have come from! Our parents? The media? Very interesting point there! Good luck with your own resolutions! x
I really really need to take these resolutions to heart, as I suspect do many other mums out there. We spend so long trying to make sure everything is perfect for everyone around us that we often forget about ourselves entirely. I’m certainly one for thinking that a five minute grabbed shower is me time. I also know that I also need to be more present more, technology can at times both help our life and be a barrier to it and I’m on a mission this year to make sure that it helps rather than hinders. Thank you so much for linking up such a brilliant post to #PostsFromTheHeart
Author
I know – it’s hard! And I’ve definitely been guilty of thinking that going to work was me-time, because I could make my own way to work without the children in tow and I could talk to adults and have coffees freely in the office! But there’s a lot more to it, and somehow, we have lost sight of it all… I totally agree with you on the technology front. And it’s something I also need to work on!
I need to change things. I have been working both my body & my mind far too hard and i have reached burnout. I love the breakdown of ways you are going to have a more positive 2017 and take more time for yourself. #Postsfromtheheart
Author
Do something now Becci! You don’t want to get burnout, trust me! I’ve learnt this the hard way! Looking after yourself is the first thing you need to do, or you won’t be in the best position to be there for your family! Good luck with it all 🙂
Really I need all information. This is a very helpful and informative article. Thank you for share a great article.
Author
Thank you Daniel – glad you liked it!
To make a plan you need to include steps. Break a large goal into it’s smallest components.
Author
Indeed – that’s a brilliant way to do it!